Apple Watch (1st Generation) Review Roundup

Consenus

Apple Watch is the most beautiful and best smartwatch to buy right now, but lacks a must-have feature

3.73out of 5

Average Overall Rating

★★★★★★★★★★

3.73 out of 5 stars (6 reviews)

Critics Reviews (Around the Web)

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 out of
5 stars Unless you are an Apple fanatic, or simply like having new tech gear, skip this version, especially now. No one knows what the upgrade cycle is going to be for the Apple Watch, so there is no hurry to run out and buy a half finished product which could be obsolete in a few months. Read full review →– Audioholics / Aug 19, 2015

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 out of
5 stars For iPhone users desperate for a smartwatch, the Apple Watch is perfect for you. It relays some iOS apps and all notifications to my wrist without requiring me to constantly pull out and unlock my phone, and that's a nicely convenient thing to have. Read full review →– TechRadar / Jul 21, 2015

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 out of
5 stars The Apple Watch is the most ambitious, well-constructed smartwatch ever seen, but first-gen shortfalls make it feel more like a fashionable toy than a necessary tool. That may change with a big software update later this year, though. Read full review →– CNET / Jul 15, 2015

★★★★★★★★★★4 out of
5 stars The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch yet, but it's more of a luxury item than a replacement for your Timex. Read full review →– PC Magazine / Apr 28, 2015

★★★★★★★★★★4 out of
5 stars The Watch Sport may be the cheapest in the range, but it does everything its more expensive sister Watch models do, and there’s really no need to pay more. Read full review →– Digital Trends / Apr 25, 2015

The Apple Watch is light-years better than any of the feeble, clunky efforts that have come before it. The screen is nicer, the software is refined and bug-free, the body is real jewelry. Read full review →– Yahoo! / Apr 8, 2015

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 out of
5 stars There’s no question that the Apple Watch is the most capable smartwatch available today. It is one of the most ambitious products I’ve ever seen; it wants to do and change so much about how we interact with technology. Read full review →– The Verge / Apr 8, 2015

Pros

Exceptional build quality with good material choices

Refined OS and interface

Excellent out of the box functionality from 1st party apps

Feels natural on the wrist

Intuitive activity tracking

Does not require separate activation with a service provider

It's feature-packed, with solid fitness software, hundreds of apps, and the ability to send and receive calls via an iPhone

Attractive design

Secure, comfortable fit

Plenty of third-party apps

Unique communication methods make it special

Attractive design in multiple sizes

Notification taps are subtle
Setup is a breeze

Easily the nicest smartwatch available

Cons

Slow 3rd party apps especially between watch and iPhone

Requires daily charge (18 hour battery life)

Some glitches both with WatchOS and iPhone Apple Watch app

Some features seem half-baked or incomplete

Requires a WiFi or Bluetooth connection to an iPhone for GPS and data connectivity

Expensive

Average battery life

Little functionality without connected iPhone

Software has a learning curve

Performance issues, especially with apps and location services

Notifications need way more granular settings

Our Final Conclusion

The first generation Apple Watch is more luxury than necessity. However, software updates and new apps should improve it over time.

Apple Watch

Product Overview

March 9, 2015 - Apple today announced Apple Watch will be available Friday, April 24, 2015 in three collections priced from $349 to over $10,000. Pre-orders will be accepted online starting April 10th for customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US. Apple Watch is an incredibly accurate timepiece, an intimate and immediate communication device and a groundbreaking health and fitness companion. Highly customizable for personal expression, Apple Watch also brings an...Read product announcement →